Taylor off?

Matt Taylor is the focus of this attention, on Saturday the Daily Mirror was quoted in saying Taylor was in talks with Villa, this was after a similar story surfaced in the Birmingham Post the evening before. Come Sunday and its Liverpool in the running to nab Taylor, this time in the Sunday Mirror! Read into it what you will, but I personally find the Mirror to be very speculative in their football gossip, and we had all this last year with Spurs to be Taylor's likely destination. If there is any foundation to the stories, it would be a body blow to Pompey's ambitions if he were to leave, as he was starting to look like the answer to the problem left-side of England, maybe McClaren's continual ignorance of anything outside of his favoured clubs would be part of the problem? If so, Liverpool would be the destination as Villa suffer from the same blinkeredness as us, Gareth Barry for England anyone?

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Matty Taylor is a really good player and would benefit any team, but wouldnt Villa be a step down? Im a fan but someone like him deserves 1st team football and I am not sure whether he would get it at spurs

I think it would be ridiculous to sell taylor. We are supposed to being moving forward not backwards. I don't see how any of these stories can be true. He signed a new 5 year contract with us a few months back. Harry won't let him go. If he does he needs shooting.

I think it's all paper talk. most of the movement has been into Fratton Park, so the papers have to suggest some movement the other way. Taylor is a name that their readers will know, so he's the one linked. been here before.

I personally feel Matty Taylor was a huge reason why we managed to finish as high as we did. Had it not been for his goals then our goals for column would be 9 less - we all know that our forwards have been atrocious this season, we were lucky that Matty rediscovered his form to contribute so much to our best season so far.

Gutted if he goes. Been with us from day 1 of our Championship winn ing team. An top guy, with English grit & a great left foot. Almost irrplaceable. If scummer Bale if worth £10m based on potential than MT is at least worth that.

Good player but I'd rather find a pacy left-winger rather than Taylor. Scored some absolute screamers mind... Just out of interest, if you did sell him to a club, how much would you want for him? That is even if you want him to stay nd I know you all do.

I think Spurs have shown they're looking way, way beyond the likes of Taylor right now ... He's good, but not any better than what we have already, and in no way can he take us to the level we want to be at.

Shannon, I can understand what you are saying there but hand on heart can you really expect to finish any higher than you have this season? The "big" four have finished where everyone expected them to be, I feel you have achieved all you could expect to achieve given the circumstances.

In my opinion, there are two divisions in the Prem and you have just finished top of the second division - the Prem has become a bit of a farce as far as a competition is concerned, the only way anyone can start to compete with the "Big Four" is for FIFA to put a cap on transfer fees and salaries. That is the only way we can have a level playing field.

That said, I am still looking forward to next season, especially as (apart from Bore Kings Chelski) only one of the "Big Four" have beaten us in the league this season and that was Manure on their own ground - we of course beat them at ours. We drew at Liverpool and beat them at Fratton Park, we drew both matches against the Gooners. To be perfectly honest, even Spurs only managed to beat us due to the cheating that went on at White Hart Lane, one dive too many. We also beat Everton at home though lost the away match and both against Bolton. Oddly, we even managed to beat Reading convincingly at home and got a good draw at their ground - yet we finished below them! Had we one or two players who could have put the ball in the net, we could easily have drawn any of those draws into a win and we'd be where you are now Shannon.

To all clubs out there, good luck for next season, let's show the "Big Four" that they are not as big as they think they are and Match of the Day can go to hell as well!!

TruePompeyBlue, I have to agree that the richer clubs are increasing the gap between themselves and the rest with every season that they qualify for the Champions League - and its happening across Europe. But I don't think a wage cap is the answer. To be frank, I don't know what is...
The point is, though, that Spurs have a realistic chance of breaking into the top four - we almost did it last season, we were just one win away from it! The club is spending a lot of money this season to make that final push and our young and foreign players will have another season of premiership experience under their belts. You have to admire the way Spurs are going about it: unlike in the past, there is a definite plan and a clear strategy, now it has to be executed.
There are a couple of differences between Pompey and Spurs: Your top players, with a few exceptions, are at the end of their careers, and ours are just starting theirs. On the other side, it's interesting to me that three of the top four didn't manage to beat you; we have a very poor record against the top four, and I've always wondered why we can beat all the sides who beat the top four but we can't beat the top four ourselves. I call it the Spurs Complex - I think the reason is mainly psychological. Anyway, I like your manager, and I've always rated Mendes - I don't believe he got the right opportunities at Spurs, and Redknapp has brought the best out of him.
Every season has its ifs and buts. In the end, though, the log table doesn't lie. Despite two very poor spells we finished fifth for the second season running, and though we wanted more this year, that tells a story. I wish you lot all the best, but if any clubs are going to break the monopoly at the top I think its going to be Spurs and Everton.

I agree SteveC, the thing that sticks in my mind is the 4 year contract he signed last season, last summer it was all about "when he signs for Spurs" then he commits to us for another 4 years, speculative rumours by hacks

muntari's arrival would add more pressure to matty's first team place tho wouldn't it? but i cannot see the point in us selling, what benefit will that do us... 'arry has come out and said he wants to keep him anyway hasen't he...

Harry has said Taylor is going nowhere. Why would he want to sell him. He is one of our best players and HR won't let him go for any price. I agree with some people up the page that Spurs are going in the right direction but I think Pompey will give them a run for their money next season.

Spurs - as much as it pains me to say - are looking the team most likely to break into the top 4 but they, along with us and a handful of others will still be battling it out next season for 5th down as low as mid table... if we can get in more players - and keep hold of what we have then we'll be knocking on that uefa cup door again - but this time better prepared...

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